Afghan Prison Built with U.S. Money Falling Down Before It Opens

An interior view of the Building 17 at Baghlan prison on Aug. 18, 2013, which was subsequently demolished due to safety concerns.Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

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April 2, 2014, 4:04 PM GMT / Updated April 2, 2014, 7:17 PM GMT

An $11 million American-funded prison in Afghanistan has fallen apart before it even opens — and the U.S. State Department's plans to rebuild it call for shoddy construction, a government watchdog said Wednesday.

Photos of the lockup being constructed in Baghlan province for 495 inmates show serious structural damage: thick cracks that appeared in walls after the soil it was built on settled.

One building had to be demolished for safety reasons and the contractor intends to rebuild using the original materials and methods in violation of the international building code, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.